KLA Cadets Hear About Economic DevelopmentKosciusko Leadership Academy met Tuesday at Zimmer Building 5 to learn about "Planning For the Future of Kosciusko County".
Those attending learned about economic development and planning concerns in Kosciusko County in the next decade.
Guest speakers were Kim Nance, senior project manager of Kosciusko Economic Development Corp., and Dan Richard, Kosciusko County planner.
Nance explained that KEDCo's purpose is to both retain and expand existing business and industry while attracting new business investments. She began the session by sharing that 15 to 20 percent of all new jobs come from startups of persons already in the community, and that a lot of time job creation comes from small companies who employ as few as 1 to 19 employees.
Nance divulged that a lot of times companies are already looking at Warsaw before KEDCo is contacted. Outside developers look at local websites as well as visiting the area beforehand and asking questions of hotel, store and restaurant employees to get an idea of the community.
She shared that KEDCo is working to provide an entrepreneurial culture by providing resource tools on their website, webinars, a loan program and free one-on-one business assistance in partnership with the South Bend Small Business Development Center and the Kosciusko-Warsaw Chamber of Commerce.
Richard wrapped up the session by sharing that the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission Office is "in charge of land use and land development issues for the unincorporated county areas" as well as for some of the smaller towns.
Richard said the county has a comprehensive plan that is constantly updated. Some of their duties include: addressing land use questions, reviewing proposed subdivision plats and issuing improvement location permits.
He went over the planning tools he uses in his job, which include ordinances.
Richard then covered some of the recent changes that include pond and wind tower regulations. He cautioned that zoning does not solve all problems.
The KLA class was quizzed on some geographic information system maps of well-known areas.
Richard ended by stating that there has been a "shift from a county of total agricultural dominance to other areas such as residential, commercial and industrial development."
The next meeting is scheduled for March 29 and will cover entrepreneurship in Kosciusko County.
